22,396,468 members doing good!
about our ads
share your passions, stories, inspirations, and more
Virtual Worlds of Xbox Live: Not Such A Gay Place To Be
Feb 28, 2009
Richard Gaywood. Millinda Gayheart. Tyson Gay. All these names and more will currently get you flagged by Xbox Live if they're found in your gamertag. Now the Consumerist reports of a self identifying lesbian player who, whilst playing an Xbox Live game, was hunted, had abuse hurled at her and then had her account suspended because she was open about her sexuality in her profile.

Homophobia and Virtual Hate Crimes
A gamer who identifies herself as Teresa, wrote in to the Consumerist online paper about her experiences of homophobia in Xbox Live games. She had this to say:

"I was harassed by several players, 'chased' to different maps/games to get away from their harassment. They followed me into the games and told all the other players to turn me in because they didn't want to see that crap or their kids to see that crap… as if Xbox live is really appropriate for kids anyways!"

To read her full account, please click here to go to the Consumerist article.

Teresa goes on to allege that she has suffered anti-gay slurs, such as people calling her a "fag", and that, although mindful of this, Xbox has done very little to remedy the situation. This is surprising since Xbox has always been very vocal as to its stringent policies against abuse and any kind of hate crime activity.

When questioned over their policy, specifically as to what their views were on expressing sexuality, Xbox were adamant that no expression of sexuality, be it heterosexual, homosexual or any shade in between, would be allowed. It did say, however, that if players wished to self identify whilst in the gaming world they were free to do so through the speech function of the game, and that this would not be prohibited. 

However, this is not the first instance of a problem with Xbox Live. AfterElton, the gay news and media site, also interviewed a gamer called xxxGayBoyxxx who was similarly ganged up on by groups of homophobic players whilst playing Halo 3. You can read an interview with him here.

Interestingly enough, readers may like to note that xxxGayBoyxxx points out that, one of those individuals who had previously antagonizing, threatening and insulting him, eventually became one of his best online friends after the two bonded over their game playing skills.

Perhaps, before Microsoft become too ban happy, they might want to consider the implications of this, and how, if two people could overcome their differences spontaneously, the online virtual world might be a favorable place in which to challenge people's preconceptions head-on, all be it with a guiding hand from the Microsoft team.

Microsoft's Reaction To The Homophobic Incident
Microsoft has refused to comment on individual cases, but Stephen Toulouse, chief of moderating at Xbox Live, seemed to recognize it was important for people to express that side of themselves when he said via his Twitter stream: "Expression of any sexual orientation (straight or gay or otherwise) is not allowed in gamertags. However we've heard from the user-base they want that capability, so I am examining how we can provide it in a way that wont get misused."

The actual text input method still allows gamers to use words like "gay" and "lesbian", as well as allowing other, more derogatory terms, however, it seems, Xbox – through creating a blanket ban system - is placing the blame firmly at the door of players who are self identifying as gay and holding them responsible for the treatment they are receiving from the Xbox Live community at large. This, surely, can't be permissible? This leaves me asking several questions.
 
Are we, in fact, entering an age where the virtual world is taking on a Don't Ask Don't Tell policy so as not to offend those sensitive to homosexuality?

Some have asked why such players feel the need to "broadcast" their sexuality in the games, but to counter that, why should they have to hide it either?

The defense that children might be playing seems, well, redundant, given the nature of such games as Halo 3, Resident Evil 4 and the Grand Theft Auto series, and, even if they are, how would being around players who identify as gay or lesbian really affect them? Let me be clear. If this is an online game for children, sexuality, of any kind, obviously has no place.

But if children are being allowed to enter virtual environments which have mixed age ranges, and still parents expect their children to not be exposed to an array of cultures, ways-of-life and, yes, sexuality, well, isn't that like telling your child to go outside, but only with their hands firmly clamped over their eyes?

So we await the team at Xbox Live's next move, but with increasing pressure and attention firmly on this issue, it seems they will have to act both decisively and fairly in a way that can facilitate all of its users.

But, at some point, something will have to give, and as usual it comes down to one basic tenet: let people express themselves fully and prepare for the friction as they rub one another up the wrong way, or don't let them express themselves at all, and prepare for the friction as they rebel against their chains.
(0) | () | | send green star | flag as inappropriate
Visibility: Everyone
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted: Feb 28, 2009 2:00am

 
 
 
Content and comments expressed here are the opinions of Care2 users and not necessarily that of Care2.com or its affiliates.

Author

Steve Williams
male , single
Bradford, United Kingdom
Shares by Type:
All (2287) | Blog (2287)

Showing shares tagged with: anti_gay_gamers [show all]
ads keep care2 free
SHARES FROM STEVE'S NETWORK
May
14
(0 comments  |  discussions )
KDC Solar and North Jersey Media Group Cut Ribbon on Large Solar Facilityby Staff WritersBedminster NJ (SPX) May 10, 2013The solar operation will cover more than 60 percent of the power needs at North Jersey Media Group's printing plant. KDC Sol...
May
12
(1 comments  |  discussions )
Mama's Day Cards You Won't Find at the Drugstore Society & Culture  (tags: mothersday, mothers, families, queer, transgender, immigrants, strongfamilies ) BMutiny  - huffingtonpost.com The group...commissioned a group of artis...
May
9
(0 comments  |  discussions )
The largest genocide in human history happened where? Most people would answer Germany, and the Jewish Holocaust. Actually though, the largest genocide happened in the USA, with the native American Indians, with estimates of 19 million to 100 millio...
May
8
(0 comments  |  discussions )
Official Nuclear Radiation Study; Tokyo University Hayno, R.S., et al (2013) Internal Radiocesium Contamination of Adults and Children 7 to 20 Months After the Fukushima NPP Accident as Measured by Extensive Whole-Body-Counter Surveys, Proc. Jpn....
May
6
(0 comments  |  discussions )
Toxic radiation accumulates in water supplies after nuclear accidents. Radiation bioconcentrates in fish that live in fresh water and salt water. Runoff of fresh water from land which has been contaminated ends up contaminating oceans, and salt wate...
(0 comments  |  discussions )
66 Atomic Bombs were exploded on the Bikini Island Atolls. Hundreds of islanders were removed from the islands, but not from harms way. One hydrogen bomb exploded near the islands, and the children played with the dust from the bomb, as it fel...
(0 comments  |  discussions )
Dominion Virginia Power Selects Old Dominion University For First Rooftop Solar Power Installationby Staff WritersNorfolk VA (SPX) May 06, 2013File image. Dominion Virginia Power has selected Old Dominion University to be the first participant i...
May
5
(0 comments  |  discussions )
"Under our current law, a suspected terrorist on the FBI's No-Fly List can't board an airplane -- but they can still legally purchase guns and explosives. This loophole, known as the “Terror Gap,” is ...
(0 comments  |  discussions )
Germany added more solar panels in one month, than the US did in ONE YEAR. Nearly 1/3 of Germany power output is handled by bottoms up solar energy during the middle of the day. The transition to a 100% renewable energy nation is in process. T...
(0 comments  |  0 discussions )
http://www.upworthy.com/ /the-top-8-ways-to-be-tra ditionally-married-accord ing-to-the-bible?c=upw1 According to the Old Testament, which defines all of the 'rules' of traditional marriage, the above examples are all of the ways that couples can be ...

Copyright © 2013 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved